Definition of SHENANIGAN

shenanigan

Meanings

Plural: shenanigans

Noun

  • reckless or malicious behavior that causes discomfort or annoyance in others
  • the use of tricks to deceive someone (usually to extract money from them)
  • singular of shenanigans: a deceitful confidence trick; also, an act of mischief; a prank, a trick; an act of mischievous play, especially by children.
  • Dishonest, underhanded, or unscrupulous activities or behaviour; skulduggery, trickery; also, mischievous behaviour or play; high jinks.

Verb

  • To play a deceitful confidence trick on (someone); to swindle, to trick; also, to carry out an act of mischief on (someone); to prank.
  • To play a deceitful confidence trick; also, to carry out an act of mischief.

Origin / Etymology

The origin of the noun is uncertain. As the earliest attestations are from California, U.S.A., in the 1850s towards the end of the California gold rush (see the quotations), it is possible that the word derives from one of the following:
* Irish sionnachuighim (“to play tricks”, literally “to play the fox”); Irishmen were among the people participating in the gold rush. (See also the 31 December 1854 quotation suggesting it is an “Irish word”.)
* Spanish chanada, a shortening of charranada (“deceit, trick”); California was colonized by the Spanish Empire in the 18th century, and many people from Latin America also took part in the gold rush.
Other suggestions are set out in the table below.
possible etymologies
* From the East Anglian dialectal word nannicking (“playing the fool”).
* From French ces manigances (“these fraudulent schemes”).
* From German Scheinheilige (“sham holy men; sham holy actions”), scheinheilig (“hypocritical”) (18th c.)
* From Rhine Franconian schinägeln (“to work hard”), from the peddler’s argot term Schenigelei (“work”).
The verb is derived from the noun.

Scrabble Score: 14

shenanigan is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
shenanigan is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
shenanigan is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 17

shenanigan is a valid Words With Friends word